steam engine
noun
an engine worked by steam, typically one in which a sliding piston in a cylinder is moved by the expansive action of the steam generated in a boiler.
steam engines
-
pluralof steam engine.plural
The grammatical form denoting more than one person, place, thing, or idea.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Within two decades, railroads had replaced steam engines with diesel-electric trains, which are cheaper to maintain and operate.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
At first, this new field played a key role in the Industrial Revolution by explaining how heat could be converted efficiently into useful work, such as powering steam engines.
From Science Daily ● Dec. 23, 2025
At that time, steam engines didn’t carry passengers.
From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2024
Trevithick had already pioneered high pressure stationary steam engines for mining and driving machinery and Welsh iron entrepreneur Samuel Homfray bought shares in his patent and brought him to his works in Merthyr Tydfil.
From BBC ● Feb. 24, 2024
By 1800 only 2,200 steam engines had been built in Britain, some two thirds of which were Newcomen engines, and a quarter Boulton and Watt engines.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
